The Mavericks had a strong 2-1 trip before returning home Wednesday to spank the New York Knicks 129-114.
What all that means is that they have survived Luka Dončić’s sprained right wrist. Actually, they’ve done more than survive. They prospered.
They moved up in the Western Conference standings as the season nears the one-quarter mark.
That said, they need him back.
And the return might be close on the horizon.
Coach Jason Kidd said before the Knicks’ game that Luka has continued individual workouts and that, although the team has not been able to practice because of travel days and game frequency, he’s getting good reports.
“He looks good,” Kidd said. “We just got off the road. Everything that has come back is he looks good. And he’s getting closer to coming back. We haven’t had practice, so he’s doing his individual workouts. And I’ve heard he’s trending in the right direction.”
Dončić was diagnosed with a sprained right wrist a week ago and is set to get evaluated before the Mavericks leave Friday for a quick trip to Utah and Portland over the weekend.
While the temptation is not to bring Dončić until he’s full strength, he’s always eager to come back as fast as possible from any injury or illness. The longer the Mavericks can continue their success without Luka, the better. But they’ll welcome him back with open arms.
The best news is that they have proven they can handle short stretches without their superstar and not lose ground in the standings.
“One guy can’t come in fill a superstar’s role, so we have to all come together as a team knowing that everybody is going to have a little more opportunity to contribute offensively and defensively,” said Quentin Grimes, who started in place of Luka and had 21 points and seven rebounds on Wednesday. “We’re just coming together as a unit and have his back while he’s out.”
For Kidd, it’s a great sign that he can rely on players to fill different roles. Starting and coming off the bench is starting to become interchangeable for several players, including Grimes and Naji Marshall.
“Without Luka right now, we’re finding ways to win,” Kidd said. “And with Luka, we’ll find ways to win. We’re not going to go undefeated. Understand, we’ll learn from those losses.”
The biggest problem with Luka’s absence is that playing time is running up for several players. The hope is that the stress of having to over-play players will ease when the Mavericks’ health returns.
They also were missing Daniel Gafford and Klay Thompson on Wednesday.
“Right now the energy is at a high and guys are playing a lot of minutes,” Kidd said. “And that’s going to have to change because we won’t be able to run (guys’ minutes up).”
Stout pairing: Before the game, Kidd praised the Knicks and their pairing of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, calling them the No. 1 pick-and-roll tandem in the league, which statistically is correct.
That didn’t surprise Knicks’ coach Tom Thibodeau.
“Yeah, and I think that when you look at it, the numbers will tell you that,” he said. “When you put two highly skilled guys in a combination together, you’re going to get something really good out of it. It puts a lot of pressure on the defense.”
And makes defenders pick their poison.
“ Are you going to switch or play a smaller guy on him?” Thibodeau said. “Are you going to blitz them? Can we generate more offense from that? You can get to the short roll, to the second pass against the blitz, get to the offensive rebounding, so it creates a lot of advantages that way as well.”
Briefly: The Mavericks have a rare two-day break before starting a trip Saturday at Utah. They will close the gym on Thursday for Thanksgiving. “It’s a family day,” Kidd said . . . The Mavericks’ coaching staff likes to reward players for previous successes by running the first play of a game for them. Lately, it’s been P.J. Washington getting the first chance to score. “The ball’s going to P.J. the first, it’s no secret,” Kidd said. “Everybody sees it on tape. If he’s not scoring, he’s finding the open guy.” . . . Spencer Dinwiddie had 21 points against the Knicks and continues to produce when the opportunity arises. “That’s why he’s here,” Kidd said. “To be able to step in, whether it’s injury or rest or sickness, he’s done that at a high level.” . . . The 129 points were the most the Mavericks have ever scored against the Knicks, surpassing the 128 they had last season.
X: @ESefko
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